Put in a slipway to let more cars pass

THE letter by Businessman, titled “Finish N2 work quickly” (September 3), refers. Action must be taken with immediate effect otherwise people of Nelson Mandela Bay will continue to be negatively affected by the traffic congestion that is currently causing havoc on the N2 in Port Elizabeth.

The congestion is due to roadworks that are planned to continue for the next 16 months until December next year. The DA proposes a slipway be created onto one of the N2 westbound lanes to accommodate traffic from 6am to 9am from Mondays to Fridays as the majority of the traffic between these times is carried by the N2 eastbound in the mornings and traffic on the N2 westbound is minimal.

The DA will engage with the relevant authorities to take the matter further.

The roadworks have led to severe delays for all road users travelling on the N2 eastbound and the NMBM has also claimed that it has adversely affected service delivery. The roadworks are not only affecting the N2, but also have a knock-on effect on other roads in the city due to fact that road users are now having to use alternative routes to avoid the congestion.

A slipway is the most sensible and cost effective solution to a very frustrating problem that will persist for the next 16 months unless action is taken with immediate effect.

Economic opportunity is already severely under threat in the NMBM. A fully functioning road network is at the heart of a strong economy.

Economic opportunity cannot be further jeopardised due to government agencies failing to put contingency plans into place when major construction will take place over extensive periods of time.